Meta has launched an aggressive campaign to attract top talent in the AI sector for its newly established Superintelligence Labs. Following previous recruitment successes, the company has set its sights on individuals at Thinking Machines Lab, a startup led by Mira Murati, a notable name in AI.

Meta’s Recruitment Targets

The tech giant has reportedly approached over a dozen employees at Thinking Machines Lab, with offers ranging from $200 million to over $1 billion spread out over multiple years. While some offers guaranteed between $50 million and $100 million in the first year, none of the staff has accepted the proposals thus far.

Reactions and Controversy

Meta’s communications director, Andy Stone, has called certain reports about the recruitment offers exaggerated, stating that only a few offers were made. The recruitment strategy itself appears to involve direct outreach from Mark Zuckerberg via messaging platforms like WhatsApp, followed by swift interviews with key executives.

Strategic Vision and Competition

Within these discussions, Meta’s CTO, Andrew “Boz” Bosworth, has been open about the company’s plans to compete with leading AI models from OpenAI. Despite past challenges, Meta aims to leverage open-source strategies to position itself against smaller, innovative companies.

Looking Ahead

As Meta continues to refine its AI models, including the recent launch of Llama 4, industry insiders are watching closely to see how these recruitment efforts will play out in the broader competition for AI advancements.